Ariel's Elsanna Drabbles
by ArielApostolos
Summary: I will be storing my story ideas (mostly stories I've only written one introductory chapter for) here. I hope to someday write out all of these ideas into full-fledged fics, but for now I'm going to store them here (and on Wattpad) for safekeeping. These will be Elsanna pairings, so if you're not into the wincest then I suggest you abandon ship.
1. An Unlikely Bond

_**Modern AU**_

"Come on, Elsa," Anna begged, thrusting a book at me. "I wanna hear it again!"

We were sitting in my room, Anna cuddle up next to me as she normally was while I sat cross-legged typing away on my laptop. We were a year apart in age, yet Anna had always been the more immature and childlike of the two of us. Our joint birthdays were only a few weeks away, in fact, which would then make Anna thirteen and myself fourteen.

"Not right now, Anna," I replied without looking up from my laptop. This had become a sort of routine of ours, with her adorably pestering me for attention while I did my best to focus on my schoolwork. Guess which one won out more often than not?

A sigh from beside me signaled the next stage in our little act. Fighting back a smile, I glanced up from my laptop to see my precious little redhead sister affecting the most fierce pout I'd ever seen. It was absolutely cute and overwhelmingly endearing, which just like all the other times, I felt myself immediately caving in.

"Fine," I groused, flipping my laptop closed and pushing my glasses further up my nose. "Give it here, you little brat."

Anna's face transformed into the biggest grin, which never failed to make my heart swell. It was a source of pride that I was one of the few people who could make her smile like that. It was a smile meant only for me, and I treasured them every time.

Soon we were settled back against the headboard, Anna leaning against my shoulder as my hands brushed over the book's cover. Bonding: an Introduction and Guide. I'd already read the book from cover to cover, both aloud to Anna and alone, on several occasions. But it seemed the older we got, the more the little spitfire wanted to hear of it.

Opening the cover, I flipped passed the first few pages until I reached the first chapter. "Bonding, in its most basic definition, is a physiological manifestation between two individuals on multiple levels of expression. The only known physical representation of a Bonding between two people is the projection of written words from one Bondmate to the other via their shared Area of Influence.

"Areas of Influence are predetermined areas or patches of skin, usually within reaching distance of one's predominant hand, such as on the forearm or legs, that allow for this mysterious form of communication to occur. Speaking plainly, what one individual writes on the Area of Influence, it will show up on the same Area on their Bondmate."

I'd had to explain this all in much simpler detail to Anna when she first showed interest in the Bonding. Luckily, she seemed to have caught on and no longer required any added input on my part.

"It is not certain what causes the Bonding to occur, but we do know that there are some requirements that must be met first before the Bonding will present itself. Firstly, Bonding seems to only occur between individuals who have reached the age of sexual maturity." This part had been excruciating to have to explain to Anna. She was only a year younger than me, but I still found myself years ahead of her when it comes to maturity, though physically speaking we had both gotten our first periods around the same time earlier this year. Still, Anna was not dumb or ignorant by any means. I was simply...advanced, for my age.

"Once this has passed, a Bonding can occur at any time or any age. This leads us to the next requirement: physical contact. Bondmates must come into physical contact for the Bonding to take affect. As of this documentation's writing, there have been no known cases where Bondmates report any sensations occurring to denote their Bonding has occurred. Rather, here we delve into the psychological trademarks of the Bonding that can, and often do, occur."

On the opposite page was a split diagram. On one side, the frame was focused on a nondescript individual. They had a pen pressed to their arm, obviously meant to be writing something. In the next frame, another nondescript individual was shown looking down at their arm as half-formed words began to appear. Underneath the diagram was a caption, "Basic mechanics of Bonded Communication".

I flipped the page, glancing at Anna to see her gaze riveted to the book. I smiled, loving how much enjoyment the girl got out of this little exercise of ours. Another little perverse pleasure of mine, knowing that I was the one she chose to come to for these readings. I was the one she wanted to spend time with and be around. Maybe it was the sibling thing, but in my heart I held dear to the fact that to my little sister, I was that important.

"To date," I continued reading, "there has been no explanation as to how these transferences of matter occur." The first time I'd read this to Anna, I'd had to explain that they were talking about how the ink could simply disappear from one person's skin and appear on another's. "Why didn't they just say that?!" she'd complained, which made me chuckle still to this day.

"What we do know is that these two individuals are forever and irrevocably bound to each other from the moment the Bonding occurs. Along with the transference of matter comes an empathic or emotional connection as well. A Bondmate tends to be able to sense the emotions of their Bondmate, especially while communicating via their Area of Influence. It has been found that through practice and meditation, a Bonded individual may block their ambient emotions from transferring unconsciously, though it is not possible to completely block those emotional transferences during communication."

This was another area where I'd had to explain to Anna in simpler terms. Basically, both Bondmates can sense and feel each others' emotions from the moment their Bonding occurs. But, there are ways to block those emotions from your Bondmate if you wish, but it is impossible to completely block them from sensing your emotions while writing to each other.

"Bonding is deeply rooted in the areas of the brain that are responsible for stimulating pleasure and happiness. Thus, it is not recommended for Bondmates to remain out of contact with one another for extended periods of time, as this has been known to lead to negative psychological reactions. These include, but are not limited to, depression, lethargy, listlessness and emotional withdrawal.

I cleared my throat uncomfortably, wanting to skip the next section simply because I didn't want to think of such a thing happening to my precious sister. "Bondmates are not bound to one another physically, per say, thus the loss of one's Bondmate to death has no known physical response within the surviving Bondmate. That being said, the rates of suicides following the death of a Bondmate are overwhelmingly high, suggesting that the loss of one's Bondmate severs something integral and psychologically necessary in the surviving Bondmate."

That part had been the hardest to explain to Anna, only eleven at the time I'd first started teaching her about the Bonding. Really, how do you tell your sibling that if they ever lost their Bondmate, they would probably wanna kill themselves rather than live on without them?

"Now, it must be noted that there are actually two stages to a Bonding: the Activation, and the Binding. The Bonding is considered Activated the moment the Bonding begins to manifest between two individuals. This stage can last for a lifetime without ever resulting in the Binding, but is not recommended due to the negative psychological aspects associated with refusal of one's Bonding.

"The Binding occurs when both Bondmates accept their Bonding and perform the actual Binding rites. Both Bondmates designate a symbol for their partner and write that symbol onto their opposing Bondmate's Area of Influence, thus completing the Binding, solidifying their Bond for all their lives."

Shifting a bit, I pressed ahead. "The Bonding phenomena has notable references throughout history, but has only become a common occurrence within the last century. As a matter of statistics, research has shown that at least sixty percent of Bondings occur between the ages sixteen to twenty-seven, while the other twenty-nine percent can and do occur after the age of twenty-seven. There is a one percentile range where Bonding has been known to occur as early as eleven years of age.

"Philosophers and poets are quoted as referencing the Bonding as "writing to one's soul," or "a shared sonnet to thine other half". One modern researcher was quoted as saying, 'I would like to think of the Bonding as a fated joining of souls. There's no known precedence for such a metaphysical anomaly to occur systematically throughout our society.'"

"A fact worthy of note is that the Bonding occurrences do not show any gender preference, which in turn means the Bonding can and will occur between two individuals of the same gender just as often as among opposing gender." I remember when I'd first read this, I had wondered at the necessity of this bit of information. But it wasn't until recently that I'd begun to contemplate whom my own Bondmate might be someday, and whether I could see myself bonded to a man or a woman.

Anna sighed contentedly as I finished the Introductory section of the book. "I hope my Bondmate is as smart as you are," she said, smiling up at me as I look at her in surprise. The comment, as simple as it was, made my heart flutter the slightest bit. "But I doubt anyone can ever be as pretty as you!" she exclaimed with the same enthusiasm she always showed when we discussed the Bonding.

I felt my face heat up in a blush and I briefly wondered why such a simple compliment made me feel shy and hesitant all of a sudden. "T-Thank you, Anna," I eventually mumbled in reply. "But you're more beautiful than I ever will be."

* * *

A stifled yawn caught my attention, my gaze catching the edges of weariness as Anna tried to hide the gesture behind her hand. Closing the book, I lifted my hand to gently brush my fingers through her braided hair. "Alright, time for you to go to bed, _ma petite rougue_." Anna grumbled but it was cut off by another yawn, earning a chuckle from me as I nudged her shoulder. "Come on, sleepyhead, no use fighting it. We both know you're gonna pass out soon and I'd rather not wake up choking on your hair again."

That wasn't exactly the truth. I didn't mind sharing my bed with Anna, I never have. We were sisters after all. But lately I had been having a lot of confusing and sometimes troubling thoughts about the young redhead. It had started simply as a selfish urge to want to keep her close to me, to have her time and attention all to myself. I'd chalked it up to simple yearning from one sibling for another. Yet recently it had progressed to something more. More than just selfish, I felt jealous any time Anna was away from me, whether she be at school, hanging out with her friends, or simply spending time in her own room.

Anna gave me a surprisingly strong hug, kissing my cheek before she began the journey back to her own room. "One of these days, you're gonna tell me what that means," she tossed over her shoulder. My little red, my mind supplied, but I just smiled and shooed her out the door. It was normal to give your sister pet names, right?

But I was smart enough by that age to know that these weren't normal feelings one usually experienced towards one's family. I knew, though I refused to acknowledge it. After all, it was perfectly acceptable to love one's sister...wasn't it?

I clung to my denial even as I turned my attention back to my homework, hoping against hope that once I found my Bondmate, I'd be free of such idle familial wonderings.


	2. A Star Falls

_**Star Wars AU **_

Her stride was purposeful, her dark violet cloak swirling almost violently behind her. Her pale blonde hair was tucked beneath the cloak's icy hood, the material shining in the rays of the come-and-go morning light of the windows as she passed them.

Her very presence seemed to fill the hallway, malice and anger rolling off of her in waves. She could easily have masked her essence, but that would have defeated her purpose. Besides, there was no way the Counsel could hope to stand against her power.

With a wave of her hand, the door in front of her burst inward, her hatred flowing through the Force given form. She didn't falter in her step, frost creeping across the floor ahead of her movements. She was met with silence, as she came to stop in the middle of the room. Five pairs of eyes, seemingly calm and collected yet alert and wary, met glowing blue orbs swirling with barely restrained power.

"Where is she?!" she demanded, her voice cast deep, echoing in the vast chamber. It hissed and grated across every surface, fueled by the darkness that had been bred in her by the very people who stood before her.

No one answered, their eyes never leaving the woman who stood, captivating in her unbridled rage. Her lightsaber was still hooked to the belt inside her cloak, hidden yet ready to be unleashed should she need it.

The blonde threw back her hood, allowing her single braid of nearly-white hair to rest languidly over one shoulder. She glared at each individual in turn, three human males, and one Twi'lek woman, one unassumingly small green alien. Masters, all of them, yet for all their supposed power they would not dare raise a blade against her.

Her anger growing, the young woman let her icy powers flow from her in a wave of impatience, coating the floor and windows in an ever-thickening layer of frost. The lights dimmed subtly, as if bowing in reverence to her fury.

"I will ask you once more," she spoke again, her voice tinged with barely contained rage and raw pain. She wanted her answers, but a part of her hoped they would continue their silent vigil. She would take pleasure in forcing their tongues...whether they were still attached to their bodies was their own choice.

"Where. Is. she." she spoke each word purposefully, enunciating each syllable.

"Unaware of what you speak, we are, Elsa," a voice croaked from the seat directly in front of her. The small green creature, quite possibly the most powerful of all the Jedi, sat cross-legged in his chair, observing the young woman as if she were an interesting piece of art. Unperturbed, unaffected, unconcerned for the destruction she could unleash on them all should she choose.

Anger roiled across her face, reflected in the drastically lowering temperature of the room. "Don't you dare lie to me, Yoda. You know exactly whom I speak of. _I have sensed her!_" she yelled that last bit, casting her glare around the room, letting her darkening essence permeate the space in its entirety. Yet she could never quite reach the five individuals, safe and protected in their little bubbles of power.

Oh, she could have shattered their defenses quite easily, but she was not a fool. She knew a battle with the five of them would be long and protracted, as well as tantamount to suicide by declaration of war with the Jedi. She had avoided drawing unwanted attention to herself and her exile, growing in her own darkness and isolation in ways the Jedi could never have understood. They were stuck in their ways, dogmatic and pragmatic as they were.

No, she had avoided confronting them for the same reason they avoided her: Mutual disinterest. She had harmed no one in her quests for deeper understanding of her own powers and the exploration of the furthest truths of the Force. Dark side, Light side, neither interested her, only the numbness of her strange and unprecedented power over ice and snow could comfort and sooth her mind.

That is, until she'd felt it. Felt _her_. It had been faint, almost ephemeral, and at the time she had been certain she had imagined it. Yet she knew, in her soul, that what she'd felt was real. And so her purpose had become clear, her destiny set in stone.

She would find her, and no one would stand in her way.

"Do not trifle with me, Jedi," she whispered, sending her frosty essence wafting through the air, watching in satisfaction as the various Council members began to shiver. "I will make this easy for you," she continued evenly. "You have hidden her from me for fifteen years. I don't know why, I don't fucking care. All I care about is finding her, and neither you nor any other being in existence will stand in my way."

She took a deep breath, allowing the cold to fill her with the calm she needed. As much as she wanted to fuel the anger inside of her and unleash her fury on the Council, it wouldn't bring her what she needed. She had to stick to her plan.

Slowly, she raised her left hand, allowing the five individuals in front of her to clearly view the device. "I have placed several thermal charges hidden throughout this Temple and many of its outlying facilities. Enough explosives to disintegrate any living being within fifty yards of them. Most notable of these would be the younglings' sleeping chambers and cafeteria."

She paused to let this sink in, enjoying the slow crumpling of their expressions from peaceful serenity to outright shock. "You have a choice to make. I have corrupted the Temple's sensors so that it will take far too long to locate the devices before I activate them. I demand you give me her location, and in exchange you will never see nor hear from me again. I will disappear from all existence, never to bother you nor the Jedi again."

She lowered her hand to her side. She allowed her thoughts to flow across the space between them, doing something she had never done in the past. She opened her mind to them, showing her unwavering determination and certainty.

She stood transfixed as everyone turned their eyes to Yoda, their shock having given way to uncertainty and fear. This was not something they had foreseen, nor apparently had they thought possible of the former Knight.

Yoda seemed lost in his own thoughts as he peered up at the young woman. She couldn't read his thoughts or even sense his emotions, yet she was certain they would give in to her demands. Because she knew, in her heart, that there was nothing she wouldn't do to reclaim that which had been taken from her.

The old Master sighed, defeat written across his aged features. "We do not know where she is now." The blonde opened her mouth to rebuke him but his upheld hand stopped her. "We lost contact with her when the Clone Wars began and haven't heard from her since."

Elsa thought she had felt angry before, but that was nothing compared to the icy fury churning inside of her at his words. "What do you mean?" she growled.

The green Jedi held up his hand and a small sphere barely an inch in diameter hovered across the space between them, landing upon a small dais that unfolded itself from the floor. The lights, already dim, faded to darkness. A moment later, stars exploded into the space around them, a hologram of their galaxy as they knew it.

Yoda pointed at a small cluster of stars just this side of the Outer Rim territories, the hologram zooming in at his silent command. "Deployed, she was, with a detachment of Jedi to investigate rumors of a droid manufacturing facility on the outskirts of our charted territories." With a wave of his hand, the hologram zoomed in once more until only a small cluster solar system was left, a reticle appearing over one of the planets. "Lost contact with them, we did, as they entered this system."

Elsa glared her icy fury at the small Jedi Master. "You have a lot to answer for, Yoda, least of all why you have hidden my sister's presence from me for all these years. Yet the most important right now is, why have you not sent a rescue team to find her?"

Yoda cast his eyes down for a moment before meeting her swirling gaze. "Sad to say, am I, that we have not had the resources to launch a full rescue operation, though we did deploy a small detachment of Clone troopers to that sector." He paused, then sighed heavily. "Never heard from since, were they."

Elsa's fury erupted then, her anger snapping past her control and she lashed out at the closest wall. Shards of ice impacted every surface around her, a conical blast of frost manifesting her rage as she screamed out her sorrow. "You worthless Jedi, you only care for yourselves in the end!" She fought to reign in her powers before she did something she would truly regret. Her cloak was still billowing around her as she wreathed herself in a small cloud of snow and ice.

She glared at each of the Council members in turn until she again met Yoda's gaze. With a wave of her hand, she ripped the small orb from its pedestal, palming the piece of crystal before tucking it into her cloak. "I am going to find her, and if any of you stand in my way..." she let her threat stand unspoken. "And if she is not alive when I find her, you had better hope you fall to the machinations of the Separatists before I find you."

With that, she turned and made her exit, her icy heels snapping angrily across the tiled floor. She tossed the device she had been clutching behind her, no longer needing it. She smiled as she let her cloud of deceit dissipate, enjoying the wave of surprise from the Council as they realized she'd lied to their faces and they had fallen for it. They really were a pompous group of over-inflated windbags, so sure of themselves and their abilities.

_Worthless Jedi_, she thought to herself. Yet even that small victory over them was a short-lived spark of light in her darkening focus. She was going to find her sister, and no force in the Universe would separate them again.

"Anna," she whispered, "I'm coming for you, my dear sister."


	3. Fire and Ice

_**Canon AU (picks up at the end of Frozen 1)**_

"Are you ready?"

The Queen's question was met with applause from her people, and with her pulse thundering in anticipation she tapped her foot to the ground, sending a wave of ice across the courtyard. Her heart seemed to swell in her chest as her people's laughter and cheers filled her ears.

And then her sister was there, slipping and sliding her way into her older sister's arms. Elsa felt the heat of her sister's touch sending waves of nervous anticipation through her body, but she quickly clamped down on the uncomfortable sensation. Anna was so beautiful, such a sweet and innocent soul, and the blonde couldn't help but smile at her sister's arrival by her side.

"I like the open gates," her sister said, her teal blue eyes shining in honest appreciation. Elsa had missed those eyes, and the beautiful girl who possessed them. Woman, she corrected herself. Her sister had definitely grown up in the last thirteen years she'd been locked away and she couldn't help but admire the womanly figure she'd matured into.

"We're never closing them again," she replied. She flicked her fingers to her sister's feet, a wave of magic fluttering about Anna's boots. The redhead was lifted a few inches and her boots were covered in twin lines of ice to form skates.

"Oh Elsa, they're beautiful but you know I don't ska—"

"Come on!" Elsa said playfully, pulling her sister along with her. She felt so free, so alive, and for the first time in forever, she had her sister there with her and she was going to spend every moment she had making up for the years she'd kept herself locked away from the beautiful redhead.

* * *

"You can do it," Elsa said encouragingly, swinging her sister around, and Anna's heart seemed to leap into her throat at the dizzying sensation, both from the motion and from seeing her sister so carefree and genuinely happy. It was like all the shadows and pain she'd kept locked away with her behind that door for so many years had disappeared in a blinding ray of pure joy.

"Look out, reindeer coming through!" Kristoff yelled, sliding by with Sven.

Anna was stumbling and slipping on her skates, and just as she was about to fall she felt Olaf push her up and into her sister's arms.

She suddenly couldn't find enough air for her lungs as she felt the cold softness of her sister's body fill her senses. Anna hugged her sister close, as a surprising wave of heat ran through her. She loved her sister so much. They'd missed so much of their lives and now she was there with her and she simply didn't want to spend a single moment away from her.

"I love you," she whispered to her sister. There were tears in her eyes but she was smiling as she buried her face against the blonde's shoulder, breathing in the cool airy scent and clinging to the woman.

"I love you, too, Anna," her sister whispered back to her.

Anna's thoughts jumped to the last time she'd said those words to Elsa...

_She'd long since forgotten what warmth felt like as she struggled to keep her body moving. She stumbled forward across the frozen fjord by hope alone, not sure anymore where she was trying to go but trudging along still the same. Her thoughts flitted about as the snowstorm raged around her icy body, yet one thought seemed to repeat itself again and again._

_True Love will thaw. True Love will thaw._

_Just then, the storm was suddenly calm, still. She could see Kristoff in the distance, running in her direction. Her mind tried to wrap itself around that, her body stumbling toward him. True Love will thaw. Again the words repeated in her head yet there was unease as her feet tried to keep moving her forward._

_Then a sound of metal brought her head around. The sight before her caused her failing heart to stutter painfully in her chest. Hans was approaching her sister lying meekly on the ground, a broken yet beautiful goddess. _

_She took one last moment to look at Kristoff and made her decision. She stumbled quickly across the ice, the cold pressing deeper and heavier into her heart. __**Not yet**__, she thought, __**just a little longer, please**__. There was Elsa, her quiet crying a painful sound to Anna's ears._

_With one last burst of will, Anna threw herself in front of Hans, her hand raised, "Noooo!" And then there was only cold and bleak darkness. All sense of herself was gone, nothing but the cold remained._

_"Anna!" a voice screamed, but it was so far away, an aching echo of pain that she could no longer feel. "Oh, Anna, no...no please..." she hated that sound, that soulful ache. And the heart-wrenching cries. Angels shouldn't make that kind of sound..._

_And there, in her chest, a small warmth began to bloom, heat spreading out from small drops of heat falling on her frozen body. __**Elsa**__. Her sister was holding her, crying racking sobs of lament. Anna couldn't stand it, she needed to comfort her sister. Elsa needed her._

_The warmth spread quickly across her body until suddenly she gasped, her breath returning in a warm spasm of sound._

_"Anna," her sister gasped softly, standing quickly to face the Princess, pulling her into her arms for a crushing hug._

_"Oh Elsa," she whispered into her older sister's embrace, her heart flooding with warmth and love for the precious, beautiful woman in her arms._

_Elsa pulled away, and Anna grasped her hands in her own. Teal eyes met pale blue ones and Anna could swear her heart seemed to expand in her chest, swelling with love for her sister._

_"You sacrificed yourself for me?" her sister asked 's voice was filled with a heavy depth of emotion as she replied simply, "I love you." And in those words she heard an echo of another thought, __**True Love will thaw**__. In that moment there was no doubt in her mind what those words truly meant. Her sister, her world...her love._

Anna gasped as that familiar heat again spread through her chest, staring deep into her sister's eyes as she held her in a desperate grasp. She wanted so badly to tell Elsa just how she felt, but that heat was pouring through her body with a rapid intensity, and suddenly her feet hit solid ground. Surprised, she stepped back and looked down as steam flowed up around the both of them. There was a circle of melted ice surrounding their feet. She vaguely noticed the bottom of her sister's ice dress had melted as well. As Anna tried to puzzle through that, her head began to ache and her chest seemed to be on fire.

Panting, she put one hand to her head as the other gripped her sister's shoulder for balance. The world was spinning and her heart seemed to burn with a penetrating, searing pain. "E-Elsa?" she whispered, searching for her sister's blue eyes but failing as her vision swam. She was falling, falling, the earth rising up to meet her and then all she could feel was cool arms holding her, a voice calling out to her. The voice of an angel...


	4. An Unbroken Vow

_**Harry Potter AU**_

"Griffindor!"

It was that one word that began the divide between my sister and I. For the entirety of its lineage, the family of Arendelle had always been sorted into Slytherin. There had never been a parent, sibling, or even cousin who had been anything other than a 'servant to the Serpent,' as my father once referenced.

So when I gazed upon my sister, Anna, as she smiled broadly at the Sorting Hat's announcement, I couldn't help but feel betrayed. I was a year ahead of the girl, and in the year I had spent away from her not a day had gone by without us corresponding in some manner, whether it be through letters or the connected mirrors my father had provided us so that we might remain close. I had spoken often to her about the Slytherin common rooms in the dungeons, of how quiet and warm it was compared to the raucous nature of the rest of the school. _Especially_ the Griffindors.

And now my precious little redheaded sister was seated at the Griffindor table, chatting away with some other First Years as if I didn't exist. I was certain my glare would have been enough to at least draw the younger girl's attention, but it was useless as Anna's attention span had always been rather short. So it was with a heavy sigh I turned away from my only relative left in the world, facing the Headmistress as she took to the podium.

"Yes, yes," McGonagall was saying, "Calm down, now." Once the Great Hall had quieted, she continued, "Before we begin this years Feast, I'd like to welcome our newest addition to our staff, Professor Weaselton."

"_Weselton!_" a small nasally voice squeaked from the far end of the staff table. A short man no taller than myself stood and abruptly spun in a strangle little dance before ending in a sharp bow, his toupee tipping half off of his bald head, before whipping back into place as she stood just as suddenly.

Several giggles and outright laughter could be heard throughout the Great Hall, and I admit I couldn't help myself from giving in to the urge to chortle a bit. Of course, this man's actions weren't anything new to Anna and myself. This man, Weselton, had once been one of my father's closest friends and confidants, and I had grown up fighting not to snicker at the wizard's odd gestures and strange way of posturing.

I turned just in time to catch Anna's gaze, her face alight with laughter as we shared a brief smile in remembrance. Then I felt my gaze go cold as I turned away back to to the podium where McGonagall was currently attempting to corral the students back into silence. That feeling of betrayal was still weighing heavy on my thoughts and I couldn't bring myself to acknowledge my sister just yet.

"That's quite enough," the Headmistress said. "Professor Weselton will be taking up the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts this year, and hopefully the years thereafter." I sneered and rolled my eyes. It was rumored the post was cursed, but I knew better. The years of the famous Harry Potter attending school not withstanding, there had yet to be a teacher who lasted more than one year at the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts. And it was all due to the fact that none of the teachers in the last three years since the Dark Lord's fall had been qualified to maintain the post.

There weren't a lot of people willing to own up to knowledge of the Dark Arts in general, let alone express that knowledge in the teaching of others. It was a pity, so many people had grown terrified of being associated with the former Dark Lord and his ilk that no one was strong-willed enough to risk the scorn.

Weselton was another matter, though. Since my parents had died two years prior during an experiment gone wrong, Weselton had stepped in during the interim and was more than willing to pass on his own knowledge. Since we were the last of our pure bloodline, we were given every edge needed to excel, which included flouncing the rules and allowing us to perform magic at home.

And now after a year of neglectful teaching in the class I loved most, I found myself excited for the appearance of the short, old man.

"...and remember, the Forbidden Forest is off limits to all who do not wish to die a gruesome and horrible death." I finally tuned in to the old witch's final words as the Headmistress clapped her hands together, droves of fresh, warm foods appearing throughout the tables as the Feast began.

Yet my appetite left me as soon as I glanced across the Great Hall to see my sister eagerly digging in to whatever food was within reach of her small arms. I still couldn't wrap my head around the fact that Anna had been sorted into Griffindor. It was unheard of for someone of our lineage to not be in Slytherin. Was she adopted or something? Was she really my sister?

Of course, I knew this line of thinking was foolish, as Anna's name and face appeared on our family's tapestry right next to mine. Only those descendant of Arendelle could appear on that old cloth. Maybe something was wrong with her? Was she damaged in some way, or just flawed?

Or was it _that_.

Images of Anna tossing her hands about carelessly as magic sprung from her fingertips passed through my mind's eye. It was a long protected family secret, the fact that Anna possessed unprecedented wandless magic. It had shown itself early in childhood, as such often occurred in normal witches and wizards. Except, it didn't dissipate or fade like it does normally. No, it was one of the main reasons we were given such stringent instructions in magic and its uses so early in our lives.

Anna could wield magic without the use of a wand. It had been a source of contempt between us, and I was mature enough to know that it was because I was jealous of her. She had always been our parents' favorite, doted upon and spoiled, given attention at even the slightest hint of need. I wasn't neglected, by any means, but when compared to the sweet, wondrous, magical child that Anna showed to be, I felt outclassed and overshadowed.

Regardless, it was my father's last words to me before he and mother died. "_Keep her safe. She's...the future...of all magic kind._" He had died without any further explanation.

Our family had always agreed that Anna's wandless magic should never be revealed to the wizarding world. She would become a circus freak, showcased and experimented on, tested into nothingness. And as much as I despised my sister's House placement, I loved the little brat with everything that I am.

We'd found long ago that any real wand wielded by the girl literally broke in her fingers if she tried to use it. And so Anna was given a core-less wand and told to always wield it when she performed magic so as to keep others from suspecting.

Before I knew it, the Feast was over and we were being corralled out of the Great Hall, while the First Years of each House were being lined up to be guided to their common rooms for the first time. I pointedly ignored the searching look from Anna as I left the Great Hall and made my way quickly towards the dungeons, passing through the common room and into my dorms.

My trunk was already situated at the base of my bed and I threw myself bodily onto the soft surface, sighing deeply as I felt the familiar comfort of the room embrace me. Though many would expect the dungeons to be cold and drab, it was actually quite warm and...well it _was_ a bit drab, but I wasn't exactly one for aesthetics anyway.

A whisper of sound brought my head up, glancing around at the empty room curiously. It was only a moment before the sound repeated, coming from the foot of my bed. It was only as I was kneeling before my trunk that I could make out the voice of my sister.

_"Elsa? Are you there?"_

Sighing, I opened the trunk and retrieved the gilded mirror from its protective case. A tap of my wand to its surface revealed the pouting face of my sister. "What do you want, Anna?" She knew her voice sounded cold, but she was still dealing with the hurt of the girl's placement.

Anna's pout trembled on her lips, her brows furrowing as she no doubt caught my tone. _"I want to talk to you. Why are you being so mean?"_

I felt my lips curl up in a sneer. "Mean? You think I'm being mean? It is you who have betrayed our family name!"

The shocked look that twisted her features almost immediately crumbled into a deep frown. "_I didn't mean to get sorted into Griffindor! It just happened!_"

A fresh wave of anger welled up in my chest, and I was scared honestly of where it was coming from. "The sorting hat takes your choice into consideration! You must have wanted to shack up with those do-gooders. At least mom and dad aren't here to see you betray their legacy!"

As soon as the words had left my mouth, I wanted to snatch them back. I got front-row seats to watching my sister's face absolutely shatter as she immediate began bawling her eyes out. She muttered something unintelligible before she tapped the glass with her finger, the image disappearing.

"Anna!" I cried out desperately. "I didn't mean it! I'm sorry!" I couldn't help the desperation in my voice, even as I knew she had probably silenced the connection from her end. I hadn't meant a word of that, not really. There was no way I would say something so hurtful to my baby sister. I was just feeling so angry!

Sniffling, I tossed the mirror back into its protective case before placing it inside my bedside table. I burrowed myself under my blankets, curling up into a ball as I cried silently into my pillow. What had I done? Anna might never talk to me again after that. What would I do? I had to protect her, to keep her safe. But instead I just lashed out and hurt her for something that wasn't really her fault to begin with.

"Anna," I whispered harshly into my pillow, my tears running dry as I eventually gave in to sleep.


	5. A Lament of Darkness

_**Post-Frozen 1 Dark-AU**_

The first cut was meant to be a warning. It was meant to give the man pause, to give him a chance to show remorse or some semblance of regret. Or at the very least, she wanted to wipe that smug smirk off his face.

When it didn't work, she ground her teeth behind her serene smile, head held high as she looked down her nose at the auburn haired man hanging from ice manacles. The dungeon room they were in was a bit of an ironic statement for her, having only just had it rebuilt after she'd fled to the frozen fjords beyond just two days prior. She had to hand it to her people, they made quick work in reconstructing the cell when she'd ordered it done. Was it respect, or fear that made them so quick to obey their new Queen?

She mentally shrugged the thought away. She knew the answer, even with her sister's insistence that the people understood the events of the Eternal Winter and the subsequent Thaw. Elsa knew the truth even as she clung to her young sibling's optimistic view of the world—her people were afraid. Of her. And as she stood before the young prince in front of her, held aloft by the very powers she'd fought to keep hidden for over a decade, feeling the hatred and anger building inside of her...she knew they had reason to fear her.

She let her smile curl into her own twisted smirk as she took in the man's disheveled appearance. She'd had the man quietly abducted from the ship before it had left port, secreted away to this very dungeon as soon as construction had been finished. She knew as well as he did that his brothers and their father, the King of the Southern Isles, would never deliver a suitable punishment to the would-be usurper. But Elsa could, and after the very public fiasco of Hans' attempted regicide, she had all the authority she needed to exact her revenge on the man. Those worthless cowards of the Southern Isles would do nothing to intervene on his behalf.

Yet all the damnable fool did was taunt the Queen with his sarcastic smiles and jeering comments. She never let her smile falter, yet she was seething inside that even now the man's pride was infallible.

"They thought you were a monster," he laughed, shaking his head at the small cut to his left cheek. "Yet even now you're as weak as the day you laid down to die on the fjords." Another blade of ice lanced across his other cheek, shattering against the wall beside him. It opened an even wider cut this time, yet he just hissed at the sudden pain and then continued his mocking. "If not for that pathetic little girl you consider a Princess—"

His words cut off in a gagging sound, his eyes widening as the Queen's bare hand was suddenly wrapped around his throat. There was a feral glint in her eyes and even she was surprised at the strength in her grip as she used the leverage to slam his head violently against the wall behind him.

She leaned in close as his eyes lolled from the blow, her fingers radiating frost as she tightened her grip. "You almost took from me the one thing I love in this world—the _only_ thing that has ever mattered to me!" She created a small blade of ice in her free hand and held it flat against his bleeding cheek. "You dare insult her in my presence?!" She ripped the blade down, the frozen skin tearing rather than being cut. The man tried to scream, she could feel it in the flexing muscles of his throat, but her grip and the frost that was creeping its way across his skin kept it buried in his lungs.

Panting, she tore herself away from the man, dissolving the blade as she moved to the opposite side of the room. It did little to sooth the rage unfurling in her like an unyielding storm. Even her magic called for the man's blood, every part of her singing in tandem, demanding she end the despicable cretin. But no, she wanted—_needed_ to see the fear in his eyes, to see that moment where he recognized his life was no longer his, that he would be made to suffer. She wanted him broken and bleeding before her, begging forgiveness, begging for death.

She smiled again, feeling her magic ripple across her skin at the satisfying thoughts. She was only glad her sister wasn't there to see this side of her. She knew Anna, her sweet, preciously innocent sister, would never understand. It was the same feeling she'd had in her ice palace when the Duke's men had infiltrated her sanctum. They'd taken her one place of solace and invaded it. With that first bolt they'd sent at her, something had shifted in her. It had slithered across her skin, her fear and self-loathing burned away as a soothing anger overcame her.

_"Don't be the monster they fear you are..."_

She found herself laughing, the sound low and hollow in the small room, but soon it took on a life of its own, her head thrown back as she embraced the anger burning in her heart. Her powers flowed like a live current through her body, following the elation from her righteous anger into her hands. She turned and threw her hands forward, letting the magic flow unfocused at the man.

The undiluted bolt of magic struck the man across his forehead, instantly turning the hair on the left side of his head pale white. His eyes went wide for a pregnant second of silence, then a gurgling scream rippled from his throat. He began thrashing against the wall, pulling hard at the icy restrains holding him in place. His obvious pain only made the Queen's laughter that more joyous. Finally, the cocky Prince's veneer of supremacy was shattered, leaving the boy nothing more than a broken shell of pain and fear.

Satisfied for the moment, the Queen approached the man, willing her icy chains to pull his body taut against the wall. When his motions stilled, she smiled up at the frantic, desperate look on his face. He was shivering now, great quivering movements racking his body. She knew full-well what her powers could do to a person. She'd witnessed it first hand, both as a child during the "Accident," and again when she'd mistakenly frozen her sister's heart.

"I think I'll leave you to ponder the errors of your life," she said with her usual regal air. "Let's see how reticent you are to properly address a Queen upon my return." She held up her hand to let her magic flow, brushing ice across the wounds on his face to seal off the still-bleeding cuts so as to prevent the man to bleed out. As another bit of insurance, she grafted a shaft of ice across his mouth that extended over his tongue to prevent him from biting his tongue and drowning himself in his own blood. She would not give him the satisfaction of dying without her permission.

The man's muffled calls could be heard from behind her as she made her way to the door, but she didn't turn around. She needed to distance herself from the anger and rage this particular prince inspired in her. She needed to ground herself, and she knew just the thing that would bring her back from the darkness.

She made her way out of the dungeons, pausing at the main entrance to instruct the guards to disregard all sounds from Hans' cell. No one knew of the going-ons in that cell when the Queen visited, nor were they allowed to question her when they were sent from the dungeons at her arrival. She didn't want anyone to witness the hollow darkness that dwelled in her heart.

* * *

She found her sister in the gardens, sitting beside the pond looking entirely the part of the innocent Princess. She was muttering to the ducklings that called the gardens their home during the summer seasons, and the sweet sound of the beautiful young woman's voice was enough to drive out the pervading anger and darkness in Elsa's thoughts.

Quietly, she made her way up behind Anna, stopping just shy of her by a tree to listen in on her conversation. "And she was just sooo amazing," her sister was whispering to the little creatures lying prone in front of her. "Watching her thaw the town with that smile on her face, so ready to accept love..." She leaned close to the little creatures and her voice turned so quiet Elsa had to lean forward to catch her next words. "And just between us, she looked soooo gorgeous. She always has been, but this was something else entirely." She leaned back out of her stage whisper as she continued speaking normally. "I swear, it was like that first time I saw her at her ice palace. By the gods! No woman should be that sexy!"

The Queen nearly gasped, her face flushing at the unabashed compliments her sister was confiding in the little ducklings. She brought her hand to her chest, trying to control her suddenly racing heart. Did she...did she feel the same way for Elsa as the Queen did for her? No, it couldn't be that. Anna was just a sweet and honest young woman who never let herself be held back, even if her words were...flatteringly inappropriate.

_No_, Elsa decided, Anna definitely didn't feel the same way. In fact, if Anna knew half the things Elsa had been thinking since reuniting with her beautiful little sister after all those years of isolation...she'd be appalled!

"But I tell you," Anna continued speaking, drawing Elsa's attention quickly, "I think she's hiding something from me. She's been really quiet these last few days since the Thaw. I just wish she'd tell me! I know I could help her if she would just talk to me. You'd think after everything we've been through she'd realize that we can do anything so long as we're together! When we keep things from each other..." she sighed, and it broke Elsa's heart all over again to see the sadness ghost across her sister's expression. "That's when everything falls apart."

_Oh Anna_, Elsa thought, _how I wish I could tell you everything!_She'd give anything to be able to tell Anna how she felt. To hold her beautiful, loving little sister and know the redhead longed for her touch as badly as the Queen ached for hers. _Would you hate me, if you knew the truth?_ she wondered.

"Anna! Elsa! What are you guys doing here?!" came a familiar voice, and Elsa cringed as Olaf came shuffling over to them from the other side of the gardens. Anna's head snapped around to find Elsa just pushing off from the tree she'd been leaning against. Elsa was just able to make out the flaring of red across her sister's cheeks as the girl turned and leaped to her feet.

"Elsa," she cried as she turned towards the blonde. "What are you doing back there?! Um, and how long have you been standing there?"

The Queen smiled as she made her way forward, considering her next words. A lie was on the tip of her tongue, it really was. But some reckless part of her heart stole away the words and replaced them with, "Long enough," her voice whispered huskily. "I'll always be willing to accept your love, my dear sister."

If at all possible, Anna's face burned a deeper crimson, her mouth working but no words seemed to pass her lips. Elsa smiled at the obvious embarrassed distress on her sister's face as she made her way forward. Still smiling, she leaned forward and pulled the younger girl into her arms, hugging her close. She could hear the redhead's sharp intake of air, could read the tension in her body just before she relaxed into the blonde's embrace.

_Maybe_, a part of Elsa's mind thought hopefully. _Maybe she does feel the same..._


	6. Sisters Out of Time

**Frozen/Final Fantasy XIII Crossover **_(Post-Frozen 1, Post-Lightning Returns)_

"By the gods, this is beautiful!" exclaimed the excitable redhead beside me. All in all, it was a good idea to come up here. It'd been a quiet journey to the North Mountain where my Ice Palace stood, with little to impede our trip in comparison to Anna's original sojourner during my Coronation. That, of course, had been just over three months ago and the time spent with my sister since had been utter bliss.

Strong arms were suddenly embracing me from the side. I smiled and leaned into the hug, enjoying the physical contact more than I wanted to admit. I'd gone without any such tactile sensation for nearly thirteen years and I'd be damned if I was going to pass up any opportunity to experience it now. Especially when it came from a certain redhead, whose touch above all else I had craved for the entirety of my childhood exile.

Standing there on the balcony overlooking the wondrous sight before us, I couldn't help feel a sense of contentment. After giving Anna a proper tour of the Palace (with the enthusiastic redhead offering suggestions on furnishings and additions that I gleefully added), we had ended up here. Not without purpose either, as I had a surprise for my little sister, which should be arriving any time now.

A sharp gasp from my left confirmed my timing was correct, as I followed Anna's gaze to the heavens. There, in the blanket of night amongst the stars and the heavens above, was a simple streak of light that seemed to shoot across through the darkness, only to fetter out of sight an instance later. Not overly impressive in its own right, yet I knew it was only the beginning, and not a moment later the warm embrace left me as Anna leaned her arms on the railing in front of us as she watched in awe as several shooting stars began cascading their way across the sky.

At our angle, the shooting stars were veering right to left, their journey impaired by the tip of the mountain on which the Palace rested. Even still, it was an incredible sight and I couldn't help but join Anna by her side, one arm pulling her close to my side as we took in the spectacle warmth of the young woman beside me didn't go unnoticed, nor did the closeness. I had begun to crave the small touches and lengthy embraces we shared, feeling myself longing for them in fact. I assumed it was simply the years of separation that were the cause of my clingy fascination with my sister's warmth.

When Anna turned her awe-filled gaze to me, I realized I had been watching her instead of the meteorological event above us. Yet her smile was brighter than any star and more spectacular than any celestial sight, and when our eyes met there was a moment.

There had been a few of these 'moments' in the last three months. It had started as something strange and unfamiliar, a sudden cessation of awareness of the world around me, save for the redhead whose gaze held mine captive. And it had evolved into something more, stealing my breath and robbing my thoughts of coherency. It set my pulse to thumping and my heart to racing. And like now, it filled my mind with a sense of longing, but for what, I wasn't sure.

While at first it had only seemed to last a few seconds, now these moments tended to stretch the span of minutes. It was as if both of us were frozen in time, looking for something within the other yet never quite finding it. Yet search we did, eyes flickering back and forth between teal and blue orbs, a yearning for something unknown and unfathomable.

And like usual, something would interrupt those 'moments', snapping one or both of us out of our reverie. This time, however, it was not simply a knock on a door or a servant announcing supper. No, this time it was what I could only assume was thunder. Yet when I searched the sky in confusion I confirmed what I already knew. The sky was clear, not a cloud in sight nor a flicker of precipitation to be felt.

There was another such noise, this time sounding closer and more drawn out. It was as if the sky were growling, a rumbling exhale across the mountains above and around us. As the sound grew, I could easily feel the very foundations of my Palace shudder, a small _tinkling_ sound coming from the new chandelier in the chamber behind us.

Just when I was beginning to question my own sanity, a bright flash drew our gazes to the sky above us. It looked as if one of the shooting stars had separated from the others, and judging by the angle, it was heading for ground. A quick flick of my wrist brought an icy telescope into existence, the same design as the one I had once used to study the stars as a child.

A glance through its lens and I was certain I had lost all grasp of reality. What I was seeing didn't quite make sense, yet it was right there as plain as day—or night, as it were. A giant crystalline structure, possibly around the size of a small house, was hurdling through the night sky towards the ground. There was a strange glowing, mist-like aura pulsing and swirling around the object, lending it an almost ephemeral look to it.

Stepping away from the telescope, I knew my face must look as befuddled as I felt. Glancing at Anna's anxious face, I gestured for her to look herself. As she took up my previous position, I glanced up into the sky to see what I could only assume was some kind of meteor in the distance, growing larger in my sight by the second.

A sharp gasp brought my attention back to my sister as she stood from the lens. Her eyes were trained up with a look that was a mixture of awe and fear. "What...what is that?!"

I shook my head, pulling her close against my side. "I don't know. Its nothing like what I've studied about meteors. It looks like one giant crystal..." my voice slowly faded as the rumbling sound grew louder, then suddenly it cut off.

In the same instance, the strange object flashed brightly before it disappeared before our eyes as if it had never been. A quick glance through the telescope confirmed that it had indeed vanished, leaving behind a glowing trail of mist that was quickly dissipating.

I barely had time to rise from my position and turn to Anna before a thunderous explosion of sound resounded across the mountain, followed by a flash so bright it was as if the sun had risen to high noon in an instant. When the light cleared there was a loud screeching sound accompanying the thunderous rumbling.

Taking Anna in a protective embrace, I glanced up in time to witness the heavens turn to fire as a ball of flames raced quickly towards the mountain. Yet, if my eyes were to be believed at that point, we should be safe from its hellish impact. It looked as if it were going to go to ground on the far side of the North Mountain.

Indeed, I was right in my assumptions of its impact site yet I had been unable to assuage its flight path, only barely having time to tackle Anna into the main chamber before raising a protective barrier of ice around us as a wave of hellfire washed over the mountain. The passing of the scorching ball of flames melted my Palace's balcony and exterior quite a bit before I was able to send my powers through the structure to reinforce it enough to withstand the onslaught.

It only lasted a few brief seconds and then the heat subsided and the threat passed.

Only to have the very earth shudder beneath us as the impact reverberated through the entire mountain. Yet, even as I felt the trembling of the Palace beneath us, I could easily tell that the impact hadn't been nearly as powerful as it should have been. I couldn't dwell on that fact, though, as I became painfully aware of the heat and warmth beneath my body.

My face flushed as I lifted myself up with my hands on either side of Anna's head, gazing down at the ruffled and confused looking redhead. There was definitely a moment, and dear gods was it the most intensely confusing space of time yet. The feeling of lying on top of Anna's small frame, feeling her heat—dear gods, that heat was so addicting!—seeping into me and warming my cheeks and other foreign areas of my anatomy.

Yet, as was the norm, this moment was interrupted, this time by Anna herself. "Um, Elsa?"

Still a bit dazed, I replied absently, "Yeah?"

Anna cleared her throat, looking decidedly unsure and confused. "Um, uh...its cold?" It was only then I noticed the slight trembling racking the younger woman's body. Stupid! I berated myself, shifting off of her as I quickly dispelled the thick bubble of ice we'd been encased in. _Way to go, ice-for-brains, give your sister frostbite while you get lost in your heat-addiction._

Ignoring my internal berating, I helped Anna to her feet and rubbed my palms up and down her arms, hoping the friction might help warm her. I stopped when Anna's heat engulfed me again, her arms wrapping around my back as she pulled me flush against her.

"This is better," she said, her breath ghosting across my neck where her face was buried. "As cold as the floor was, you're still warm to me."

That...that definitely did something very weird to my insides. There was this outrageous fluttering in the pit of my stomach and I couldn't keep a smile from stretching my lips until I was grinning widely. I kissed her hair, nuzzling against her and breathing deeply of her scent, something between summer days and strawberries.

Yet all things must come to an end, and reality came crashing down on us with a quiet rumble of sound. It was as if the mountain itself were trying to remind us of recent events, which I admit I had forgotten about entirely. I blamed my heat-intoxicated mind.

"Should we check it out?" Anna asked, pulling back to gaze questioningly at me. Her arms, I noticed, remained around my waist and I didn't mind it in the slightest. It took me a moment register her question, and even longer to surmise the 'it' she was referring to. I really must be addicted to that warmth, as it seemed to addle my mind something awful.

Nodding, I sighed as Anna pulled her arms away. "I'll go check-"

"Uh-uh, nope," Anna said, cutting me off. "You are not going out there without me!"

Her raised voice, so full of conviction and worry, quickly silenced any protest I might have had. And to be honest, I didn't want her far from my sight with recent events. As much as I had always feared my powers and the idea that I might hurt her, it was slowly dawning on me that I was the only one who could keep her safe. I had promised myself that no harm would ever come to her again, by my hand or any other, and I planned to keep that promise.

Smiling, I continued my earlier thought, "-check it out, with my lovely Princess by my side, of course."

The grin that immediately lit up the younger girl's face was worth any concession. Nodding, she stepped up next to me and hooked her arm with mine, gesturing ahead of us. "After you, _My_ Queen."

If I hadn't been patting myself on the back at bringing such an endearing smile to Anna's face, I might have noticed the emphasis she put on that last bit...

* * *

"Whoa, Elsa..."

"Yeah," I responded, because seriously, what else could I say. We'd trekked around the mountain quickly, thanks to a well-placed path of ice I conjured for us. Yet even as we stood there at our destination, I still couldn't quite believe what I was seeing.

The 'meteor' was just as I had seen in the telescope, a large structure of crystalline, faceted in revolving shades and colors. But despite the obvious impact crater we stood at, the meteor itself was pristine and perfect, not a single break or crack along its entire surface. And it was standing straight up, as if it had fallen directly to the earth rather than across the sky.

We had yet to approach it, caution and fear keeping us at the edge of the crater. Yet knowing Anna, she wouldn't be able to sit still for long. Heading her off, I grabbed a hold of her arm just as I felt her take a step forward.

"Ah-ah," I said, restraining her gently. "We have no idea what we're dealing with here. I don't want you giving it any warm hugs until I'm sure its safe."

Anna pouted adorably at my teasing comment, but she stayed where she was. "Okay, then how do we find out if its safe?"Good question. And I think I have an answer. "I have an idea," I said, gesturing for Anna to step back. When she had, I planted my feet firmly and drew upon my powers. Calling up the image I wanted in my mind, I let my powers flow through to my hands and, with a gesture towards the ground, I released a burst of ice into the earth.

A vortex of snow and ice swirled up from the point of impact, coalescing until it took on a human-like shape. It was another few moments of shifting ice and flowing snow before the creation was complete. A tall soldier of ice stood facing me at attention, a spear held aloft in its left hand while the other was pressed to its chest in traditional salute.

Nodding, I pointed to the meteor and willed my intent to the creation. In the months since my coronation, I had begun practicing my powers nearly every day. One such practice had lead me to experimenting with creating sentient beings like Olaf and Marshmallow. Yet try as I might, I had not been able to give any such 'life' to my creations as their original counterparts possessed, only able to form the creations and have them carry out basic instructions. It turned out that creating sentient life took a little something extra that I wasn't aware of yet.

The soldier turned an impressive about-face and marched its way slowly towards the meteor. It wasn't moving slowly out of fear or caution, but more out of its mistress's commanding thoughts. As it slowly crept closer and nothing happened, I allowed the soldier to continue on its way until it was standing right before the structure some thirty feet away from us.

Sighing, I glanced at Anna's anxious face. "Okay," I said, drawing the other girl's attention. "I'm going to have it try to interact with the meteor. Be ready to move or run, just in case." I paused, waiting for her nod before turning back to the meteor. I lifted my hands, raising a thick wall of transparent ice in front of us before sending the message to the soldier to reach out and touch the crystal structure.

For a moment, nothing happened and I nearly sighed in relief. That lasted all of three seconds, then I was nearly thrown off my feet as a stiff and sudden wind swirled violently around us, sweeping around my barrier and whipping my braid about my face. Anna, probably unprepared for the sudden onslaught, was tossed into my side, my arms wrapping around her instinctively as I raised more walls of ice to surround us on all sides.

There was a sharp _crack_ and for a heart-stopping moment I thought something was breaking through my barriers. I glanced up just in time to see the meteor abruptly shatter, thousands of crystalline fragments catching in the wind and swirling harmlessly into the air before they disappeared into nothingness.

The wind cut off so suddenly that the quiet that followed felt deafening. Then, over the barriers of ice I could hear a near-silent _hum_. Slowly, still afraid of what might happen, I stood to my full height, my arms holding Anna close to my chest protectively.

The sight that met my eyes as I lowered my barriers of ice was so foreign, so alien to my mind that I honestly could barely even begin to describe it. The first thing I noticed was that the object seemed to be floating above the ground, rings of what I could only guess were metal swirling in strange upward spirals around a center of fluctuating and pulsing light with several rings floating aloft around it.

And there, at the edge of my awareness, was a strange sense of the object itself. It was similar to how I could feel my powers, or sense the ice and snow. This thing was pulsing with a strange, otherworldly energy and it was...beautiful.

A bright flash erupted from the light at the center, and then the rings began to rotate around it with such speeds it was nearly impossible to keep up with. The energy I had felt before had now become almost overwhelming in its intensity, all originating from that glowing center. I had to look away, it was growing so bright, so I turned and pulled Anna close to my chest. I didn't know what was happening, but I knew _something_ was coming.


	7. Tick-Tock

_**Modern AU**_

Elsa's heart was pounding, her breathing labored as her gaze switched rapidly between her wrist and the girl in front of her. She couldn't understand what was happening, only that if she didn't get her breathing under control she would pass out.

The numbers on her wrist read 000:000:00:00:00. This wouldn't be anything abnormal for a thirteen year old girl...except that it was. She'd gotten her period earlier that evening, and like every other person who reached sexual maturity, the numbers on her wrist had changed. The timer had immediately begun counting down. What happens when the timer runs out?

You meet your soulmate.

Only, Elsa's numbers had changed from its generic 999:999:99:99:99 to 000:000:00:00:56. Fifty-six seconds. No minutes, no hours, no days, no years. She was destined to meet her soulmate in _fifty-six seconds!_

As the seconds began counting down, Elsa felt nausea battling against her lunch, her mind panicking even as her body began to move. She was at her bedroom door, hand grasping the knob and turning it slowly, as if every movement was measured by the ticking of the clock on her wrist.

She didn't know where she _should_ go, but she knew in her heart where she would always find comfort and safety. And so it wasn't that surprising when she found herself at her sister's door after only a few moments, the darkness of the hallway doing nothing to dim the bioluminescent numbers at her wrist. Their rooms were, after all, right next to each other in the family wing of their massive house. What _was _surprising was the numbers at her wrist as she reach up to knock.

000:000:00:00:07

She heard shuffling and harried movements beyond the door, followed simultaneously by a muffled, _"I'm coming!"_ Time seemed to slow even further as the seconds counted down, the sound of her sister's footsteps almost overwhelmingly loud to her ears. She felt heat pulsing at her wrist as it counted down the final five seconds.

000:000:00:00:05 Anna had reached the door.

000:000:00:00:04 she was fumbling with the lock.

000:000:00:00:03 the handle turned, one way then the other.

000:000:00:00:02 the door creaked open slowly, light temporarily blinding Elsa.

000:000:00:00:01 Elsa opened her eyes, blinking away the spots that had appeared...

000:000:00:00:00 "Hi, Elsa, what's up?"

There stood her eleven year old sister, Anna. Fiery red hair braided into its usual twin plaits, adorable freckles scattered across her grinning cheeks. She was everything precious and beautiful in Elsa's hectic and oftentimes overwhelming young life. Being an heiress to one of the most prestigious and powerful companies on the east coast didn't lend her much leeway in the way of happiness and excitement.

And so it was with a gut-wrenching cry that she turned and ran back to her room, slamming and locking the door behind her before her sister could even call out to her. She fell back against the door, sliding down until she was sitting against it. She felt tears pouring down her cheeks but she couldn't be bothered to staunch their flow.

Her thoughts remained in turmoil, even as her sister's voice came from the other side of her locked door. _"Elsa, what's wrong? Did I do something to make you mad? I'm sorry, whatever it is!"_

_Oh Anna_, Elsa thought sorrowfully. No, Anna had done nothing wrong, nor had Elsa if she were honest with herself. There had to be some kind of mistake, something wrong with her clock, she tried to reason. There was no way that fate would curse them like this, to name the two of them soulmates when they were already siblings.

They would be ostracized and scorned, at best. Their parents would be seen as paragons of iniquity, assumed to have raised their children in such depravity. There was no way society would accept them or their bond, even though the clocks were a widely accepted phenomena.

_No!_ she thought, vehemently shaking her head. _I won't let Anna be seen as a deviant, or as anything less than the pure, wonderful soul she is._ Slowly her mind began to meticulously cage her chaotic emotions, bringing a foreboding sense of calm with it.

Anna hadn't reached maturity yet. That meant Elsa had time before Anna's countdown began, which no doubt would lead her to Elsa. And so she decided, even as her heart shattered to pieces at the thought.

"Go away, Anna!" she yelled as angrily as she could. _"Leave me alone!"_ The pain in her heart as she spoke those words was nothing compared to what she felt when she heard the tiny gasp from her sister, or the small sniffle as she replied, _"Okay, bye."_


End file.
